


Keeping Mirthful

by thescouticus



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Child-Brides, Cult of the Mirthful Messiahs, Harems, M/M, Other, Oviparous Trolls, Polygamy, Rape, Religious Abuse, Religious Fundamentalism, Religious Questioning, Sexual Abuse, forced relationships - Freeform, mentions of physical abuse, underage marriage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-13
Updated: 2017-06-13
Packaged: 2018-11-13 12:35:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11185245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thescouticus/pseuds/thescouticus
Summary: Beforus wasn't perfect. An account of how the Church of the Mirthful Messiahs might have shaken out on Beforus, where blood power is a lot more subtle.Kankri's story of growing up in the Fundamentalist Church of the Mirthful Messiahs, becoming essentially a child-bride, and breaking free of the Cult.





	Keeping Mirthful

**Author's Note:**

> Note: This fic contains some Deep Shit, if you are deeply upset by ANYTHING I've listed in the tags, I would recommend not reading this, or proceeding with great caution.
> 
> It explores the Cult of the Mirthful Messiahs through the lens of what we know of Beforus, and through the lens of present-day religious fundamentalist and evangelical movements such as Gothardist Christianity and primarily the FLDS group headed by Warren Jeffs, and similar sects.
> 
> Kankri's life is very loosely and with great liberties taken on the lives of Rebecca Musser and Flora Jessop, both former-FLDS members who have written about their own escapes from the church, though I've tried to draw from as many first-hand accounts as possible.

Kankri took a deep, uneven breath. He hadn't expected this moment to come so soon, but it was here, now. His ancestor was in the very next room, speaking with the Grand Highblood himself, about his future placement. He was up soon, for the greatest honor he could hope for, but even sitting in the window seat, he felt unsettled about it.

He had no say in this matter, of course. The Highblood had hugged him when his sire and himself had walked in, but the process was completely separate from Kankri. All he was told was that the Messiahs had declared that he was ready, and he was now being turned in to see the Highblood, so he could receive the revelation, about whom the Messiahs declared he was going to belong to. All he could do was keep his heart open and clear.

It was more difficult, since he was about to enter his fertile cycle, and his skin felt like there were ants crawling beneath it as a result. He wanted to get up and walk, wanted to eat, he was fasting on this day in order to clear his heart for the Highblood, he wanted to go for a run, to run into his mother's arms. He couldn't do anything but try to stay still, keep mirthful, and try to clear his heart.

It wasn't too long before his sire returned, with the Grand Highblood behind him, in his purple-trimmed Ringmaster's uniform, an ancient troll, hunched-over and now walking with a cane, his face still painted as it should be. His voice broke when he spoke, from many years of projecting it over his followers in the Church, and now it was reedy, he couldn't yell to the congregation anymore, but he still commanded respect, he was the Grand Highblood.

Currently, he swept Kankri up in another hug, for all he was becoming frail, he was still a powerful troll, and patted his hand. "Welcome to the family, Little Kankri." He said, and patted him on the hand.

It was done then, his new priesthood head was revealed to the Highblood. The sealing would probably be soon, but the question still remained.

"Who...?" He asked, turning his eyes up first at the Grand Highblood, the Messiahs' very mouthpiece on Beforus, then his ancestor. His ancestor gave him a proud smile.

"You'll join my other seals two days from now. The Messiahs themselves have entrusted you to me, little brother." 

Kankri gulped, and tried to process the words that had just been said. The Highblood had nineteen breeders sealed to him already, though only his older breeders had had grubs by him. It seemed that even standard trolls ceased being able to create descendants at some point. And Kankri had gone through just four fertile cycles, though he was a late bloomer.

Remembering where he was, he tried to smile, trying to keep Mirthful and not show any of his uncertainty to his ancestor and the Highblood. It was of upmost importance. It was a matter of damnation or salvation.

Finally he manages to squeeze out of his body, "Thank you, Grand Highblood, I will do my best to become worthy of this honor."

The Grand Highblood of the Fundamentalist Church of the Mirthful Messiahs lets out a bark of a laugh, and congratulates Kankri's sire on his descendant becoming worthy of such an honor, to be sealed to the Grand Highblood, and gives some cryptic hints that Kankri can't quite parse together the meaning of. He has two days before his is sealed to this ancient trolls, and his mind is whirring.

He has a sealing ensemble already, all sequins and stripes, of course, it only needs a little bit of adjusting. It wasn't uncommon for young breeders to have something already prepared for their second sealing, unless they had begun their cycles extremely early. His hope chest, filled with the objects he would need to set up a home if he was his new Highblood's first seal would be obviously useless.

He has no idea what Highbloods and their seals do together in order to create descendants, and looking at the Highblood, he isn't sure that he wants to find out. The Highblood is old, and powerful. He's been living, been an Elder of the Church for a very long time even before he became the Grand Highblood.

Two days from now, at the age of seven sweeps, he will be sealed to the ancient church leader, the Grand Highblood of the Fundamentalist Church of the Mirthful Messiahs himself, a great honor, his sire says. The highest honor a lowblood can hope for. Unlike at his present house, he'll have access to cards and cash, money gathered from tithes to the church. He'll likely have his very own block in the Highblood's sprawling estate, instead of the one he shares with three of his lowblood siblings.

Best of all, his salvation will be assured now. The Grand Highblood, the Gods' mouthpiece on the planet, will certainly be going to the Carnival, and when he does, he'll call Kankri, and his other seals, to join him in the afterlife, serving him instead of being a spatter on the stage.

When he voices a concern to his priesthood head, his sire ruffles his hair, gleeful, and says that this is a test. One day, if he succeeds, thousands of lowbloods will flock to him to hear his story of endurance and faith, and to see how happy he has become, serving at the right hand of the Grand Highblood of the Church.


End file.
